chichester



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet v1.

L. A. GHIGHESTER. FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 432,478. Patented July 15, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. A. CHICHESTER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 432,478. Patented July 15, 1890.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

LEMUEL A. CHIOHESTER, OF PHGENICIA, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CI-IICHESTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,478, dated July 15, 1890. Application filed March 10, 1890. Serial No. 843,295. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL A. CHIoHnsTER, of Phoenicia, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented new Improvements in Folding Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective View of the chair set up; Fig. 2, a side view of the same, a portion of the rear leg broken away to show the linkpivot; Fig. 3, a side view of the chair folded; Fig. 4, a partial front view showing an edge view of the legs in the same folded condition as in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a partial side view to illustrate the utility of the peculiar construction of the link.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of folding chairs in which the legs are crossed, the rear legs extending from the front upward and backward to form the back of the chair, when a back is required, and the front legs extending from the rear upward to the front across the said rear legs and are pivoted thereto, and having a seat hinged to the rear legs and so as to be supported by the upper ends of the front legs-a common construction of chair, and whereby the seat and legs may be folded into a substantially fiat condition when not required for use. Some support or stop is necessary to hold the legs in their spread position when the chair is set upright. In some cases this is by means of stops at the pivot-joint between the legs, in others by a brace-like connection between the legs. It is to this latter construction that my invention particularly relates, it having for its object the construction of a support between the legs which will permit the legs to be folded into the closest possible condition and the support to occupy so trifling a space as not to be considered in the construction of the chair.

To this end the invention consists ina link pivoted to one leg, the other end of the link hung by a slotted connection to a pivot on the other leg, the said slot running in a line diagonal to a line drawn between the pivots on the two legs, and as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the rear legs, which in this case are extended upward to form the back B. V O represents the front legs, which extend rearward from the front so as to cross, and are pivoted to the legs A, as at D, and as usual in this class of chairs, the legs 0 being preferably upon the inside of or between the legs A, as seen in Fig. 1.

E represents the seat, which is preferably hinged to the rear legs, as upon a pivot F, and so that when the chair is set up the seat may rest on the forward legs as a support, and so that the seat being turned up toward the back, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 1, the legs may be folded to bring the chair into compact or collapsed condition, as represented in Fig. 3. To support the legs in their upright or spread position alink G is applied, hung by one end to a pivot on the rear legs, preferably the same pivot upon which the seat is hung and between the side of the seat and the inside of the leg. The other leg is provided with a pivot II upon its outside, and the link is constructed with a slot I, through which the pivot 11 works, the pivot being headed, as shown, so as to retain the link upon the pivot, but yet allow free movement of the legs in swinging, the pivot working through the slot I. The said slot I is oblique to aline drawn between the two pivots F H that is, the said slot, starting from the pivot on which it works, diverges from the said line between the two pivots. The link is made from thin metal, so as to readily stand be tween the two legs when folded, as seen in Fig. at, the legs having a collar between them at the pivot, as usual, to prevent the surfaces of the legs rubbing together. The link is of substantially the same thickness as the collar, or no greater, and consequently occupies practically no space in the chair when the legs are brought to the collapsed position. seen in Fig. 2, the link passes between the two legs, and because of the inclination of the slot I in the link, as described, the operation of the pivot II upon the link is to throw its lower end rearward and between the legs ICO to the position seen in Fig. 3. To fully illustrate this feature of the invention, suppose the slot to be in a line between the two pivots instead of oblique, as described. The lower end of the link in the closed position would stand in a line between the two pivots, as seenin Fig. 5, and consequently project so far from the outer edges of the legs as to make it impractical to employ such a brace; but by making the slot oblique to the line of the two pivots, as described, the lower end is thrown rearward as the legs are brought to the closed position sufficient to take the brace between the two legs and so that it is hidden and entirely out of the way. Preferably such a brace is employed at both sides. One, however, in many cases may be sufficient, provided the construction of the legs is sufficiently firm for the support of the seat.

Instead of arranging the brace above the pivot D between the legs, it maybe arranged below, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2,

and so that by the obliquity of its slot it may fold between the two legs, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will beunderstood that I do not claim, broadly, a cross-leg folding chair having a slotted link hinged by one end to one point on one part of the chair, the slot working upon a stud or pivot on the other part of the chair.

I elain1 In a cross-leg folding chair, the legs being pivoted at the crossing, the combination therewith of a link hung by one end to one of said legs and so as to swing in the plane of the legs, the link constructed with a slot, a pivot on the other leg working in said slot, said slot running from the said pivot so working therein oblique to a line drawn between the two pivots, substantially as described.

LEMUEL A. CllICllES'lER.

Witnesses:

A. F. OLD, GEO. D. CHTCHESTER. 

